Combination clothes line and clothes pin



Sept. 3, 1940.

W. BAUER COMBINATION CLOTHES LINE AND CLOTHES PIN Filed Feb. 25, 1939INVENTOR. M BA UER.

WILL/A ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1940 orrice COMBINATION CLOTHES LENEAND CLOTHES PIN William Bauer, Baldwin, N. Y.

Application February 25, 1939, Serial No. 258,366

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in means for hanging wet washfrom clothes lines.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an arrangement wherebythe burden of supporting the wash is placed upon a supplementary line,while the usual clothes line is employed to move the wash along thesupplementary line, thus preventing the breaking of the clothes line,which is a frequent occurrence with clothes lines now commonly in use,especially when heavy wash is suspended therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement, which willprevent the wash from being swung over the clothes line in the event ofa high wind.

In conjunction with the supplementary line and the usual clothes linethere is employed, for carrying out this invention, a special form ofclothes pin; characterized by being provided with a pair of clampingjaws for holding the wash, and clamp members for loosely embracing thesupplementary line as one function, and for firmly grasping the clothesline as another.

In my preferred arrangement, a supplementary line is extended parallelwith and beneath the usual clothes line, the lines being spaced apart apredetermined distance, so that the clamp members will engage with saidlines as and for the purpose described.

In conjunction with the supplementary line, I may provide a rack forstorage of the clothes pins of my invention, when the same are not in.use.

For securing the proper tension upon the clothes line, I may provide aturn buckle or the like.

The preferred embodiments of my invention are illustrated on theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of a turn buckle for tensioning the clothes line.

Figure 3 is a side View of a preferred form of the clothes pin, shown inclosed position.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the clothes pin shown in Figure3.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the clothes pin shown in Figure3, but open to receive the wash and the clothes line.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of a device for storing the clothes pinsof a modified form of construction.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line l'! of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a partial View of the modified clothes pin shown in Figure7, in operative position.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, Figure 1 shows a pole l andthe wall 2 of a house, between which is supported a clothes line formingtwo strands 3- -3 respectively, mounted on pulleys ii, carried on thehooks 5-.5 attached to hook plates 66 mounted respectively on the wall 2and pole i. Stretched beneath said clothes line is a supplementary line1, which may be a wire or rod, the ends of which are secured to hooks88' by means such as loops, rings, etc.

lhe purpose of the hook plates is to maintain the hooks 5 and 8 as wellas 5' and ii a proper distance from each other, which distance isdetermined by the spacing between the lower strand 3 of the clothes lineand the supplementary line 'i in relation to the two clamping members Aand B of the clothes pin.

The preferred form of my clothes pin is Y shaped and comprises a pair ofhingedly connected members l0l!i, one part of which con- 20 stitutesjaws ll, internally corrugated as shown at l2, for clamping the Wash.The diverging arms l3l3 of the clothes pin are provided with a pair ofclamping members l4 and I5 respectively, which are adapted to be openedwhen the arms Iii-l 3 are pressed together by the operator. The clampingmember i5 is formed with two deeply curved portions 16 and ll, while theclamping member Hi is provided with two shallowly curved portions i8 and99 respectively. The part of the clamping member l5 between the deeplycurved portions l6 and ii is inwardly bent as shown at 2!) so as to abutor come into engagement with the medial portion 2i of the clampingmember M so that, when the clamping members are closed as shown inFigure 3, the clamping members provide two conduits or loops, one abovethe other, thereby clamping tightly the line 3' and loosely embracingthe supplementary or guide line I.

When the lines 3 and l are in the position shown in Figure 1, theclothes pin is applied to the lines by pressing together the arms l3+l3.This will cause the clamping members M and 5 to be spread apart, and thesaid members can then be placed in position over the lines so that, whenthe arms are released by the operator, the clamping members will engagethe clothes line and the supplementary. line respectively.

The conduits or loops of the clamping members M and i5 of theclothes pinare of such dimensions, that the upper one will tightly clamp the lowerstrand 3 of the clothes line, while the lower one will loosely embracethe supplementary will move the clothes pin and wash, while the load ofthe wash is carried by the supplementary line.

In conjunction with the supplementary line i of the modification I mayemploy a member ii for storing or racking the clothes pins. This storingmeans comprises a tubular member 22 carried by a bracket attached to thewall of a house. The member 22 is made tubular so as to permit thepassage therethrough of the end of the supplementary line 'i, the end ofwhich is secured as by welding or other means to the threaded rod 24having a nut at its free end for adjusting purposes, the racked andunused clothes pins resting against the lug 35. V

Figure 7 shows the modified form of clothes pin stored or racked on thetubular member 22. In this instance, the clamping members 25 and 26 ofthe clothes pin are provided at their upper ends with symmetricallycurved portions Ti -42! which are adapted to grasp the clothes line 3.Intermediate the length of the clamping member 25 is a curved portion 28which is adapted to accommodate the inwardly disposed loop portion 29 ofthe clamping member In the latter instance, the loop portion 28constitutes the conduit for the supplementary line "a" well as for thetubular racking means. Figure 8 shows the clothes pin illustrated inFigure '7 with the clamping members spread apart as by pressing themembers I"'i3 together.

When using the form of clothes pin illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8,the same will be permanently stored on the tubular member 22 when theapparatus is first set up, and it will be apparent that the pins may bereadily slid from the tube to the supplementary line and vice versa.

In order to put the required tension upon the clothes line, a turnbuckle 3%! or other means may be interposed (Figure 2).

It will be noted that, when the clothes pin carrying the wash is inoperative position on the clothes and supplementary lines, it tends toprevent the wash from being blown over the line in the event of highwind. This is due to the opposition of the supplementary line to anyturning movement about the line.

It is to be understood that the above is illustrative and descriptive ofthe preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not to be regarded aslimitative to the specific details shown.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A clothes pin of Y shape comprising a pair of spring hinge clamping jawsfor holding the Wash, and a pair of compressible arms, a clamping membersecured to one of said arms, an unlike cooperative clamping membersecured to the other of said arms, said clamping members being preformedto provide an upper and a lower conduit,

said clamping jaws and clamping members being normally closed by actionof said hinge, but adapted to be spread apart by compressing the arms ofsaid pin.

WILLIAM BAUER.

